The psychological effects of water-based exercise in older adults: An integrative review

Although many review studies have been conducted on the physical benefits of water-based exercise, review studies on its psychological benefits are scarce. Thus, the aim of this integrative review was to explore the psychological effects of water-based exercise in older adults. Studies were included if they examined the psychological effects of water-based exercise in individuals aged 60 or older. The initial database search yielded 3861 studies. Duplicates and irrelevant studies were excluded by assessing titles and abstracts. Two additional studies were identified through ancestry searches. A total of 18 studies met the criteria. This review's findings suggest that water-based exercise can effectively improve individuals' quality of life, mood, depression, anxiety, tension, and fall efficacy. In addition, findings show that water-based exercise is feasible for both healthy older adults and those with chronic disease. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.